The Land for Life Toolbox is a practical and reflective guide for Multi-Actor Partnerships (MAPs) in the field of land governance. Drawing on eight years of experience in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, it offers tools, case studies, and key learnings to support inclusive and effective partnerships for land governance and responsible agricultural investment.
Rooted in the Dialogic Change Model and shaped by local experiences, the toolbox is organised around seven core principles for building and sustaining MAPs. It addresses critical challenges such as unequal power dynamics, institutionalisation, adaptive management, and collective leadership. With its strong focus on practical application, the toolbox is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to learn about or engage in multi-actor partnerships on land governance and beyond.
Beyond Traditional Development Approaches
Land governance sits at the intersection of hunger, poverty, and inequality. While often overshadowed by more visible challenges like conflict and climate change, access to land remains fundamental to food security and self-determined livelihoods, particularly for rural communities. The complexity and political sensitivity of land issues have led organizations like Welthungerhilfe to embrace collaborative approaches that bring diverse actors together on equal footing.
The MAP approach recognises that complex challenges, like those related to land governance, cannot be solved by one actor group alone. By bringing together diverse actors who combine their strengths and expertise, overcome their differences, and collaborate on shared solutions, we can sustainably address these issues.
Seven Principles and What's Inside
These seven principles emerged from eight years of hands-on experience building Multi-Actor Partnerships across four countries. They represent the core elements that teams found essential for creating effective collaborations in land governance, addressing everything from initial stakeholder engagement to long-term sustainability.
Who Is This Toolbox For?
This resource speaks to anyone working at the intersection of land governance and development. Whether you’re part of a civil society organization advocating for community rights, a government official designing inclusive policies, or representing donors, academia, private sector, or international institutions, you will find this resource valuable. It is designed for those who believe that meaningful progress on land issues and ultimately food security requires bringing diverse voices to the table and working together toward a shared solution.
